FREE
Jean Smith vocals, David Lester guitar, KRAMER on bass and keys.
Malachi Ritscher (1954-2006) was an anti-war activist who made high quality recordings of musicians -- often free jazz and experimental -- performing live in Chicago. After the U.S. invaded Iraq, he became a vocal opponent of the war. His final act of protest was self-immolation.
“If I am required to pay for your barbaric war, I choose not to live in your world. I refuse to finance the mass murder of innocent civilians, who did nothing to threaten our country. I will not participate in your charade -- my conscience will not allow me to be a part of your crusade.”
"Malachi" is a stand-alone track from the "Empathy for the Evil" sessions. Produced and mixed by KRAMER, recorded by Rat Bastard at the Laundry Room in Miami Beach, November, 2012.
The album "Empathy for the Evil" was released by M'lady's Records in September, 2014. It is available here:
www.mladysrecords.com
On November 11, 2002, Malachi Ritscher recorded a Mecca Normal set at the Empty Bottle in Chicago and later mailed the band a CD with a photo he took of them after the show. That recording will be part of an exhibit in the 2014 Whitney Biennial, along with David Lester's "Malachi" poster which was created and added to his "Inspired Agitators" poster series after Malachi Ritscher's death in 2006.
The "Inspired Agitators" series has, from its inception, been a compelling collection of graphics and text about activists and actions intending to create progressive social change. It is presented with an artist talk within Mecca Normal's classroom events.
David Lester's "Malachi" poster is available as a free pdf
meccanormal.wordpress.com/2013/11/02/november-2013
"Malachi" (acoustic) video:
vimeo.com/78823610
In November, 2010, K Records released a studio version of Malachi on a 7" record, the cover of which will be included in the exhibit at the 2014 Whitney Biennial. The cover features a painting by Jean Smith called "Discovering Utopia"
jeansmithpainter.wordpress.com/discovering-utopia-2010
In the week of November 11, 2002, Jean Smith and David Lester were artists in residence at the Bottle Cap -- upstairs at the Empty Bottle -- in Chicago. Their two-person art exhibition featured David Lester's "Inspired Agitators" poster series and Jean Smith's "Pint Glass" series of paintings referencing her then two years of sobriety. The event was one of the first in Mecca Normal's ongoing classroom and art gallery presentation called "How Art & Music Can Change the World"
howartandmusiccanchangetheworld.wordpress.com
It is interesting to note that Malachi Ritscher saw David Lester's poster series at the Bottle Cap exhibition before he himself was included within it.
released November 3, 2013